Two-ply or multi-ply narrow woven fabrics



July 24, 1962 E. J. GIBBoNs TWO-FLY OR MULTI-PLY NARROW WOVEN FABRICS Filed Sept. 5, 1958 f2 W In e @a/ M Inventor Edwin J. Gibbons 3,045,711 TWG-PLE( R MULTI-PLY NARRGW WOVEN FABRICS Edwin J. Gibbons, 149 Anthony St., East Providence 14, RJ. Filed Sept. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 759,337 1 Claim. (Cl. 139-408) Patent G The present invention relates generally to the textile art, and is more particularly concerned with the provision of an improved multi-ply narrow woven fabric, and a method of manufacturing same.

It has heretofore been common practice in the manufacture of multi-ply narrow woven fabrics to utilize only one shuttle. For example, in the conventional construction of a simple two-ply fabric, the usual procedure is as follows. One half of the face ends are raised and the single shuttle carrying the weft is passed through the shed thus formed. Then all of the face ends and one half of the back ends are raised and the shuttle is passed back through the shed thus formed. On the third pick the face ends that were raised on the first pick are lowered and the other half of the face ends are raised and the shuttle is 'passed through this shed in the same direction as the movement of the rst pick. On the fourth pick, all of the face ends and the alternate back ends lare raised and the shuttle passes back again, thus completing the cycle. The shuttle may pass through this sequence of sheds in either clockwise or countercloekwise direction with respect to the bulk of the warp threads, depending on various factors. As will -be obvious, the resulting fabric would be a hollow tu-be except for the usual incorporation ot" a series of stitching threads or binders that draw together the top and bottom plies, thus forming the finished two-ply narrow woven fabric.

In the heretofore known construction of three-ply fabrics, the picks are inserted by a single shuttle in one-faceone-middle-one-back and reverse order; or one-face-onemiddle-one-face, one-back-one-middle-one-back order, or similar interlacing. Four-ply fabrics are constructed similarly, and in the case of both threeand four-ply fabrics the shuttle may operate in either clockwise or counterclockwise order, or a combination of both.

A primary object of the instant invention is the provision of a multi-ply narrow woven fabric, and a method of making same, wherein separate shuttles are operated simultaneously, one for each ply. It has been found that by simultaneously operating separate shuttles, such as by the use of a multi-bank cross-shot loom, the speed of manufacture of the fabric is increased in direct proportion to the number of plies in the fabric, or, in other words, in direct proportion to the number of shuttles employed. Expressed differently, a two-play fabric, manufactured by the use of two simultaneously operating shuttles in accordance with the instant invention, will be produced approximately twice as fast as a two-ply fabric manufactured by the heretofore described conventional method. Likewise, a three-ply fabric, employing three shuttles, one for each ply and operating simultaneously, will be produced at least three times as fast as by the customary method, while four-ply fabric, employing four shuttles, one for each ply and operating simultaneously, will be produced at least four times as fast as by the customary method.

In my novel and improved method, each ply is woven separately from its own respective warp and with its own respective shuttle -carrying its self-contained weft supply, the various shuttles interlacing simultaneously with their respective warps, with adjacent shuttles moving in opposite directions as the fabric is traversed, but in the same vertical plane. The separately woven multi-plies are then stitched together by binders or by interlacing some or all 3,@i-5ll Patented July 24, 1962 of the warp threads of one or more plies with the weft of the other plies, as is conventional and well known in the art.

Since in the operation of my invention the different shuttles each pass through their respective warp sheds as though a single ply fabric were being woven, there is no necessity of considering the clockwise or counterclockwise motion which takes place in the manufacture of multi-ply fabrics with a single shuttle.

A further feature of my invention is the provision of a series of special catch threads at the outer edges of the fabric. These special catch threads may be arranged singly or in pairs and are caused to interlace simultaneously and alternately with the weft of the upper ply and the weft of the lower ply, as well as the wefts of any intermediate plies that may be present, to form a bound edge for the fabric. Without these special catch threads, the edges of a multi-ply fabric constructed in accordance with my invention would be rough and unfinished, in that the weft loops at each edge would be loose and disconnected with respect to each other. With these catch threads, however, the result is a well integrated multiply fabric that in both appearance and construction has essentially the same characteristics as a conventionally woven multi-ply narrow fabric.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary edge view, partly in section, of a two-ply fabric constructed in accordance with my invention, the complete path of the weft threads being shown in perspective for purposes of illustration, and each different weft thread being marked so as to more clearly identify its path; r i FIG. 2 is a View similar to FIG. 1 in which a modified arrangement of catch threads are illustrated;

FIG. 3 is a yiew similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 except that a three-ply fabric is illustrated; and

FIG. 4 isa similar View illustrating a four-ply fabric.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown generally at 10 a twoply fabric constructed in accordance with my invention. The upper ply 12 comprises warp threads 162- and weft thread 16, while the lower ply 18 comprises warp threads 20 and weft thread 22. As will be clearly seen, the warp threads of each ply are alternately raised and lowered to provide paths through which the weft threads pass. it being noted that the two weft -threads are separate and distinct from each other. It will be seen that the portions of the weft threads 16 'and 22 which extend transversely across the fabric are in exact vertical alignment with each other. In the manufacture of this fabric, it will be understood that separate shuttles (not shown) are employed for wefts 16 `and 22, and said shuttles are simultaneously operated in opposite directions. More specilically, as the shuttle carrying weft 16 is moving from the face edge of the fabric yto the back edge, the shuttle carrying weft 22 is moving in vertical alignment therewith from the back edge to the face edge. As will be apparent, when the wefts 16 and 22 reach the edge of the fabric, their respective shuttles reverse, it being understood that each shuttle travels in `a reciprocatory path, as is well known in the art. The movement of the fell of the fabric away from this point causes a loop to be automatically formed in the weft at the selvage edge, and since the shuttles are moving in opposite directions, it will be' seen that the looped ends of one weft are displaced with respect to the looped endsV of the other weft.

It will be understood, of course, that va plurality of warp threads are present across the fabric, the exact number being determined by the width and quality of the fabric.

At the outer edges of the fabric, I utilize special catch threads 30 which interlace simultaneously and alternately with the looped ends of the upper and lower weft-s. If these catch threads were not utilized, the edges of the fabric would not be bound, but rather the looped weft ends would be free and loose, and the separate plies would not be united. If desired, a stuffer warp 32 may be positioned between the plies. Also, it will be understood Athat binder warps (not shown) may be utilized to stitch the upper and lower plies together between the outer edges of the fabric, as is conventional and well known in the art.

In FIG. 2 a two-ply fabric indicated generally at 34 is illustrated, it being noted that the construction of this fabric is identical to the fabric 10, above described, with the exception of the fact that the catch threads arrangement is slightly dierent. More specifically, in the embodiment of FIG. 2 each catch thread 36 does not interlace each lower weft loop with the next adjacent upper weft loop, as was the `case in FIG. 1, but rather each lower weft loop is interlaced with an upper weft loop which is next to -the most closely adjacent upper weft loop.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a three-ply fabric 38 is shown having an upper ply 40, a middle ply 42 anda lower ply 44. Each ply is constructed in a manner identical to that described in connection with fabric 10, 'except that it will now be understood that the shuttles carrying the upper and lower wefts move in the same direction, while the middle shuttle moves in a direction opposite thereto. Once again catch threads 46 interlace the looped weft ends at the opposite edges of the fabric, las clearly illustrated. Stuffer warps 48 may be positioned between adjacent plies, if desired, while the various plies may be stitched together intermediate their edges by suitable warp binders or by interlacing 4some or all if the warp threads of one or more of the plies with the weft of the other plies, as is well known in the art.

In FIG. 4a four-ply fabric 50 is shown having an upper ply 52, an upper middle ply 54, a lower middle ply 56, and a lower ply 58. Once again separate shuttles are employed for the weft in each ply, it being understood that the shuttles carrying the upper and lower middle wefts move in the same direction, but in a direction opposite to the shuttles carrying the upper middle and lower wefts. At the opposite edges of the fabric, catch threads di) interlace the weft loops of the four plies, it being noted that in the illustrated arrangement six separate catch threads are utilized.

By utilizing a multi-bank cross-shot loom, it is a simple matter to employ separate shuttles for each ply in any of the foregoing multi-ply fabrics, it being understood that each shuttle carries its own self-contained weft supply, and it further being understood that adjacent shuttles move in opposite directions. By the use of this novel and improved technique, a multi-ply fabric may be woven in a greatly reduced time, as compared to the conventional technique wherein a single shuttle is used for a plurality of plies. In fact, by my process the manufacture of a multi-ply narrow woven `fabric is expedited in direct proportion to the number of plies present, as compared to the conventional manufacturing techniques. In addition to the saving in time, I find that by utilizing my special catch threads at the edges of the fabric to interlace the weft loops, the end product is as well integrated at its edges as a multi-ply narrow fabric made by the conventional methods heretofore known.

While there is shown and described herein certain Specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A multi-ply narrow woven fabric, each ply comprising warp threads and a weft thread interwoven thereacross, the weft thread of each ply being separate and independent from the weft thread of each other ply, each of said weft threads extending from one edge of the fabric to the opposite edge and then back to said one edge throughout the fabric so as to form alternate loops at opposite edges of ythe fabric, the weft threads of one ply being in vertical alignment with the weft threads of each adjacent ply, except that the looped ends of a given weft thread are in registry with the intermediate open portion of the adjacent ply, and catch threads at opposite edges of the fabric interlacing the looped ends of the weft threads to form the outer edges of the fabric and to connect the plies to each other at said outer edges.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

